"NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - A Massachusetts high school senior has lost her volleyball team captaincy and been suspended for five games for what she says was an effort to help a drunken friend.

North Andover High School's Erin Cox says she got a call two weeks ago from a friend at a party who said she was too drunk to drive.

Cox, trying to do the right thing, went to pick up her friend from the party, but moments after she got there, police also arrived and busted several kids for underage possession of alcohol, according to CBS Boston.

Police confirm Cox, who is reportedly an honor student, was not drinking, but school officials punished her for violating a no tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.Erin's mother, Eleanor Cox, told the station that her daughter "did what she thought was right."

The principal made a perfectly wise decision in denying entrance to a person who, by her own admission, possesses a concealed carry permit. Why someone would have a concealed carry permit and choose to broadcast it on Facebook is so utterly stupid that it calls the owner's judgement into serious question.

That her daughter is disabled is irrelevant, and was mentioned only for the sympathy factor. Army veteran... equally irrelevant and included only for flag-waving effect.

Yes, the left owns the schools and is bound and determined to use their position in the schools to try to forward their agenda, in this case anti-gun. The answer to this is that parents who have been affected by stuff like this need to run for the local school boards and from there they can root out the superintendents and principles who are liberal ideologues using their positions to force their agenda on the kids and their parents.

Is this another example of school zero tolerance policies going to far or is it an example of a school attempting to force its political agenda on the parents of students by using the children as leverage. Conform or else we will take it out on your child.

>>>>>He tells me that were going to issue you a criminal trespass warning," says Mount. The notice banned her from McBean Elementary School where her disabled daughter attends. She asked what she did wrong. "The principal is scared of you and she doesn't want you on the grounds. I ask for what? And he asks were you in the Army and I said yes. He's like do you have a concealed weapons permit? I said yes," says Mount.Mount who is a parent volunteer says she is banned from the school for posting a picture of her new concealed weapons permit on her Facebook page. She says she has never had any problems with Principal Janina Dallas but says she was blind-sided weeks earlier during a meeting with Dallas.<<<<Here is a link to the local new story.

But despite the evidence, the superintendent remains stubborn. And it looks like this will be headed for a lawsuit.

"Meanwhile, the North Andover Citizen newspaper reports it obtained an e-mail sent by Boxford Police Officer Brian Neeley to the North Andover Public School administration in the wake of the party that sparked the national brouhaha.In the electronic note, Neeley reportedly writes: “I responded with several other officers to an under aged party 732 Main St., Boxford. Erin Cox was one of many people under the age of 21 at the residence. I had the opportunity to speak with and observe Erin Cox while waiting for her mother to arrive. “Erin did not have the slightest odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person. She was polite, articulate, steady on her feet, and very remorseful for her decision to go into the residence but was only helping out a friend that had called her for a ride. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.”The imbroglio has roiled community members such that a North Andover High School alum has begun an online petition drive in Cox’s name."

An update...."It was bad enough when a Massachusetts school threw the book at an honor student who tried to help a drunken friend get home from a party, but the district's lawyer made things even worse when he lied to a judge and claimed would-be designated driver Erin Cox was arrested, Cox's attorney charged."

SADD is going to lose some of their credibility as well. Young people learning to do the right thing, and yet, getting punished for it. This whole school board should all be replaced if they feel that it was appropriate to punish this young lady like that!

Now it appears that the schools attorney lied to a judge by claiming that Cox was arrested. She was not she was given a summons for under age in possession of alcohol. One of the officers said in a written statement that Cox was not drinking, did not have the smell of alcohol on her and had no plans to drink alcohol.

To make maters MADD had gone from MADD to insane. They tell us friends don’t let friends drive drink but support the moronic decision of the school. ?????????

Too many parents have come to expect the school to "be the parent". Often because the real parent is unwilling or unable to parent effectively.

Here's a good example:

"Florida teen charged in death of bullied girl after turning a friend of the victim against her: authorities

Guadalupe Shaw, 14, and another girl were charged with felony aggravated stalking in the suicide death of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick, who jumped off a tower last month. Sedwick's tormentors were relentless in their bullying, police said, and Shaw even wrote a heartless message on Facebook after the girl died."Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/text deleted

"I'm not saying that the behavior is good or acceptable, but what I am saying is that it's up to the parents to regulate their kids' behavior off school grounds and meet out whatever discipline they think is appropriate."

In this case, the school should not have disciplined Miss Cox. She didn't do anything wrong. She should be applauded for doing the right thing, and remain the captain of the volleyball team.

On the other hand, if a student was involved in illegal activity off-campus (underage drinking, etc.), the school (the team coach) should have every right to strip him of his captaincy, suspend him for a few games, and / or remove him from the team. High school sports are a privilege.

This reminds me of a a similar situation with one of my sons who was at a party that we thoght was being supervised, but was not... We were called by local police to pick up our son who was at at party where alchol was being consumed by under age students (My son was not of driving age at time).

When we arrived (wife and I both went), Officer went out of his way to explain that our son was NOT drinking and was upstairs playing a video game with another friend waiting for us to pick him up (at pre-arranged time).. Might have had something to us both going to the same church.. :-)

My son was very lucky to have an advocate, and no alchohol or drugs in his system... from police, and more importantly from his family's rules.

As for zero tolerance policy, I do remember our son's High School had a fall / winter sessions for all athletes as well winter /spring assembly with parents and students that reviewed the rules, which included a zero tolerance policy.. To my knowledge there were people that were at parties that were suspended from sports and were not participating... They were reminded of the rules they agreed to and signed (as well as the parents).

I should think, that an alcohol test on the girl, or sworn testimony from the other party goers that she was not there would mend the matter. Exactly what does the school think they are punishing/rewarding? Are they now punishing "helping your needy fellowman"? It sure seems like it.

And what would the school have this young woman do? "Sorry, but I can't be at that party because of the zero-tolerance policy"?

Then, if the young friend is killed and/or kills someone else because of DUI, the young lady has to deal with not doing something when she knew she could have.

I vote for no disciplinary action for this young lady, and an A+ for helping her friend. The school gets a D- for common sense application.

BTW, update on the original post:"Attorney Wendy Murphy, who is trying to help the family get the decision reversed, told the station, "If a kid asks for help from a friend, you don't want that kid to say 'I'm sorry I can't help you. I might end up in trouble at school."The family tried to file a lawsuit in a District Court, but a judge reportedly ruled they did not have jurisdiction.The parents of Erin's teammates have also started a petition to support the teen, according to CBS Boston.Erin's mother told the station her daughter didn't do anything wrong and she's proud of her for doing what she thought was right."

RN: "If a kid is being a good samaritan and being a designated driver for someone too drunk to drive, who in their right mind would think that discipline is even appropriate???"

I agree, but that decision should be up to the girl's parents, not the school. I was speaking in more general terms about the the things schools all over the country are involving themselves in, which should be outside their purview. The school shouldn't have been involved at all in this incident. It should be between the police, who were there to enforce the law against underage drinking, and the parents.

"I'm not saying that the behavior is good or acceptable, but what I am saying is that it's up to the parents to regulate their kids' behavior off school grounds and meet out whatever discipline they think is appropriate. "

If a kid is being a good samaritan and being a designated driver for someone too drunk to drive, who in their right mind would think that discipline is even appropriate???

I have an issue with schools thinking that they can regulate the behavior of kids off school property and outside school functions. That is the realm of the parents, not the schools. If we don't stop this sort of thing, where does it lead? Will kids be suspended for being overweight? Could they be disciplined for saying something off school grounds that the school thinks is politically incorrect? We've already seen schools try to punish kids for what they post on Facebook from their own homes.

I'm not saying that the behavior is good or acceptable, but what I am saying is that it's up to the parents to regulate their kids' behavior off school grounds and meet out whatever discipline they think is appropriate. The school should not have this authority, because it sets up a situation where school administrators are in a position to enforce their own belief systems on the kids, potentially over the objections of the parents.